DESCRIPTION: (Verbatim from the Applicant's Abstract) Request is being made from the National Institute of Mental Health to sponsor the symposium title "Peptides and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" to be held as a port of the 1999 Summer Neuropeptide Conference to held in Key West, Florida from June 27-July 1. The goal of the symposium is to bring together leaders in the field of mental health research to discuss their latest findings of the relationship of specific neuropeptides to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This symposium will provide important, timely information to aid in understanding the pathophysiology and neurochemical basis of anxiety disorders, such as PTSD. Specifically, we are requesting funds for meeting expenses for the five speakers in this symposium, for several student/postdoctoral trainee travel awards, and for partial travel expenses of the keynote speaker, for a total request of $12,500. The Summer Neuropeptide Conference, now in its ninth year, haw become one of the premier international meetings for neuropeptide research. The conference highlights major new advances in neuropeptide research and attracts a good mixture of senior and junior participants from academia and industry form throughout the world. Active participation by graduate and postdoctoral trainees, as well a by women and minority scientist, is strongly encouraged. The format of the conference involves morning and evening symposia, a poster session, a conference banquet, and a plenary lecture by a distinguished scientist. This format, coupled with the informal setting, provides an ideal forum for the exchange of current information and the development of new collaborations among the participants.